Sometimes I just think that parents aren’t as technologically challenged as we have presumed them to be. As a mother, I don’t find myself awing at terms like Augmented or Virtual Reality, nor do I have come across parents who don’t know how to use smartphones, Smart TVs, iPads, etc. And in fact, most of them would know by now what Virtual Reality is (we can thank Samsung for featuring VR Headset with their Galaxy S7)
Contemporary parents do fantasise Sci-fi and technology, just like tweens and teens do. It’s possible that my personal anecdotes are making me write erroneous and positive statements, but I can definitely bet that parents don’t envision Total Recall or The Matrix after hearing words like virtual reality or augmented reality.
Also, I am of the opinion that kids’ tech savviness isn’t just about how they can keep their digital lives discrete. Teens who are close to their adolescence know most of the digital etiquettes. They know the repercussions of sharing their photos or videos to the strangers, except for in a few rare cases.
But let’s get back to our normal tone where parents know not a thing about the digital world and explain to you how virtual reality works and it’s possible applications.
Virtual Reality—How does it feel like?
Yes, I have had the experience of virtual reality, because of my Galaxy S7 edge that came with a free Oculus Rift VR Headset. There was some preloaded VR content and a few 360 degree videos that i played on my headset. This was my experience:
The headset is more like a pair of goggles packed in with some polycarbonate that allows us to experience a 3D real-life experience. These headsets are fitted with blue, red and green layers of glass that comes in contact with bouncing light particles at a certain angle, giving us a hallucinating feeling. These headsets are gaining popularity because of companies like Oculus Rift whose headsets are available from $99 only.
How will Virtual Reality affect teens?
Technological advancements aren’t necessarily going to affect our children negatively, unless it’s abused. VR headsets are getting cheaper and that would mean our kids will flock to them sooner or later. That’s why you need to look for these possible adverse effects of virtual reality.
- Your kids can get more addicted to video games
There are various applications of virtual reality beyond video games, but we can’t deny that they were designed primarily to enhance our gaming experience. VR headsets provide immersive out-of-the-world gaming experience. Look out for Sony’s VR headset or Oculus Rifts computer-compatible headsets that your kids might soon ask for.
- More isolation
Escapism could be an issue with virtual reality because kids can easily put on a headset and leave the world behind. This could mean greater isolation for our teens.
There is a lot of potential for joyful experiences
As I aforementioned, VR has a lot of potential unless it’s abused like any other technology. VR content can allow our kids to experience surreal events, just treading on the moon or Mars. Not to forget that virtual reality is being also used for treating post-traumatic disorders and cognitive behavioral disorders.
Virtual reality is real and it will have consequences. All you can do is to prepare your family for its arrival, because virtual reality is soon going to be an important part of our kids’ lives.
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